Only Through Publishing Will Researchers Become "Recognized" experts.

In the modern day academic world alone simply producing good research is no longer enough. Modern day scholars are now required not only to conduct good research but to promote its impact and significance in the world academic community. Universities and research institutes are now reviewing and funding researchers based on their publication record, citation impact and academic visibility.

As such, publishing is increasingly regarded as one of the most important aspects of the successful academic life.

For the researcher, publications represent more than simple paper work they represent an image and a reputation, the individual's intellectual capital and contribution to the subject they research within. Each published journal article, conference paper, review study or book chapter builds the persona of the individual in the eyes of their academic peers.

Such a profile can often gain researchers far more from a day spent out on a university campus, grant money may become readily available due to a high impact publication record, increased collaboration and more international recognition may arise with new opportunities, researchers could even be presented with leadership opportunities based solely on their output alone.

However, the mere production of academic publications is not the key to a career long success within the academic field.

One of the most common and fundamental errors researchers make is to publish without a clear vision. This means that output might increase but academic authority does not as unrelated works are being written for a range of disciplines, rather the scholar produces consistently related work, for example if an individual is focused on the concept of digital transformation, their publications may frequently include areas relating to artificial intelligence, automation and innovation systems. Over time the individual’s name may become synonymous with technology innovation. The consistency of the written work allows researchers to build significant scholarly influence and authority over time.

Strong quality will still make a significant contribution toward the researcher's authority. Researchers who possess a high number of high quality, impactful, influential, original, and relevant, publication record are often perceived far more positively than those researchers who have published hundreds of lower quality documents.

The journal publication is in fact key to this and if the paper is written badly and isn't clear and concise it may be a highly beneficial study that gets lost in the sea of unreadable publications. Choosing the correct journal can also be vital; a publication within an academic journal indexed by Web of Science, Scopus or PubMed offers enhanced discoverability of the work and greater citation potential. The researcher should analyze the publication standards and research audience of each journal carefully. Predator journals are particularly damaging to academic integrity and careers.

A strong publication record often comes from active and ongoing research as well as planned and collaborative projects. Successful researchers consistently undertake and complete a number of projects and submissions simultaneously as and when opportunity dictates and a scholars academic authority should grow exponentially as and when these result in a publication. Academic influence grows steadily through consistent output.

The researcher must not just rely on a vast array of quality publications when it comes to developing a significant academic footprint but also visibility. In an age dominated by the internet, a strong emphasis needs to be placed upon promoting the research produced. Scholars should now utilize services such as ResearchGate, LinkedIn, Google Scholar, or the institution's online repository. An abundance of excellent research studies are neglected by researchers simply due to a lack of effective promotion and outreach by scholars themselves.

Citations are still an important factor and, whilst this needs to be seen with careful consideration when it comes to career prospects of individual academics, a high citation rate will continue to remain influential in grant applications and institutional appraisals.

Ultimately, academic credibility must be ensured above all else. Inappropriate research conduct, whether that be related to manipulation, misreporting of research or academic plagiarism, can destroy an individual's career for life.

In an age where academic publishing is increasingly dependent upon a wide range of new digital technologies as well as emerging systems such as open access, a combination of well-researched publications combined with a focused vision for the research career and visibility now represents one of the most effective paths to academic influence.

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